Farm Vocabulary for interpreters

CERTIFIED Government certification given to businesses and farmers

who produce products without the use of chemicals.
ORGANIC

FARM A substance that is made by humans that is generally used

for controlling pests and is often dangerous.
CHEMICALS

COMPOST A decayed mixture of plants and or animal manure (such

as leaves and grass) that is used to improve the soil in a
garden

CONVENTIONAL Farming with the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers

AGRICULTURE (not organic).

CROPS Plants that are grown by farmers

DRIP TAPE A flat plastic hose with holes that is used to water plants
slowly and directly to the roots without wetting the entire
plant to promote plant health. Used to conserve water.

FERTILIZER A substance that is added to soil to help the growth of

plants; used to add nutrients to the soil that will help the
growth of plants. Can be an organic or chemical source.
FOOD SAFETY The practice of handling food during harvest, storage, and
preparation to ensure that produce is clean and will not
cause sickness

GERMINATE When a plant begins to grow or sprout

GREENHOUSE A building made of plastic or glass that is used for growing

plants

HARVEST To gather or collect a crop

STRAW The dry stems of wheat and other grasses; often used as
mulch on a farm

HERBICIDES Chemicals used to kill plants or stop growth. Usually used

on weeds

HIGH TUNNEL A structure made of bent poles that is covered in plastic

used by farmers to extend the seasons as the structure
/ HOOPHOUSE can be made hotter (plastic) or colder (shade cloth) and
about climate control to control humidity and moisture.

HOSE A long tube that water or other liquid can flow through
INFRASTRUC The basic equipment and structures that are needed for
something to function properly
TURE

IRRIGATION To supply land with water by using pipes or hoses

MULCH A material (such as straw, leaves or pieces of wood) that is

spread over the ground in a garden to protect the plants
and stop weeds from growing

PESTICIDES A chemical that is used to kill animals or insects that

damage plants or crops

POST- The process of cooling, cleaning, sorting and packing

produce immediately after it has been harvested
HARVEST
HANDLING

POTTING UP Moving seedlings into larger containers for healthy root

development

SOIL Things added to the soil (chicken manure, straw, or

compost) to make it healthier and make plants grow
AMENDMENTS stronger
SUCCESSION To plant crops at multiple times during the season so that
you can harvest them several times
PLANTING
TILLER A tool used to prepare land for growing crops

T-POSTS Long-lasting, reusable Long metal poles used to trellis

plants that have vines or do not stand up on their own

TRACTOR A large vehicle that has two large back wheels, two smaller
front wheels, and is used

WALK A walk behind tractor often has a rototiller attachment to

prepare soil for planting. However, it can be used for many
BEHIND different purposes depending on the attachment it has.
TRACTOR

TRANSPLANT Small plant grown from a seed that is grown in a

greenhouse and will be planted outside in the ground
TRELLIS A frame with long pieces of wood or string that cross each
other that is used as a support for climbing plants

TWINE String often used in farming for trellising and making hay
bales.

PACK/WASH Where crops are cooled, washed and packaged for CSA
wholesale or market.
STATION

WEEDS Plants that grow very quickly in places they are unwanted
and often cover or kill other plants

WHEELBARROW A cart with two handles and a large bowl that is used for
carrying heavy things on a farm

YIELDS The amount of something that is produced by a plant or

farm
THINNING removing some plants to make room for others to grow

PRUNING Removing parts of the plant to reduce disease, increase

airflow through the plant, and direct more energy towards
the fruit of the plant.

SANITIZE To apply a bacteria-killing cleaning product to implements

and surfaces, such as bathrooms or food preparation
spaces.

WHOLESALE Selling a larger quantity of our product to a restaurant or

retailer that will often re-sell the product.
MARKETS

DIRECT Selling your product directly to the customer (farmers

market, CSA)
MARKETS
ASSET A part of your business that is beneficial to you. This could
refer to any financial invest you have made in equipment
or other infrastructure pieces that you now own. Could
also refer to non-tangibles such as your experience or
education.

LIABILITY Often used to describe something that could affect the

financial trajectory of your business, such as loans. Could
be used to describe other factors in your life that could
negatively affect your business.

CROP PLAN A plan that you make before you begin planting that
determines when, what, where and how much of each
crop you will plant throughout the growing season.
TRAILER A tractor attachment used for carrying large loads, such as
hay or pieces of equipment.

SOIL TEST A test that can tell you how much fertility is in your soil,
and how much (and what kinds) should be added for
optimal production.

NPK The macro nutrients in soil, what crops need the most of.
Stands for nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

FERTILITY The amount of plant nutrients, and the availability of

those nutrients, in your soil.

ORGANIC A component of soil that is made up of once-living things

(as compared to the majority of soil which is made up of
MATTER things that are mineral).

ROW COVER A fabric material that is installed over crops to exclude

pests and / or warm the air around the plant.

WELL A structure where water is pulled from the ground.

PUMP An engine used for moving water from a water source to

where water is needed.
MARKETING A strategy to promote, coordinate and sell your product.

BUSINESS A permit issued by the government that makes a business

official, in terms of taxes, protections and other rights and
LICENSE responsibilities.

COOPERATIVE Agricultural services in each county in the state that

provide Training and technical assistance for agricultural
EXTENSION producers of all kinds.

BRAND An identity for your business, includes your name, your

logo, and the way you market yourself.

LOGO The name of your business written in a particular way, to

be used in all marketing and business purposes.

WASH/PACK A set place on the farm where produce is washed and

packed. Contains sinks, handwashing stations and counter
STATION space to pack our produce.

WALK IN A large enclosed refrigerated space to store large amount

of produce.
COOLER /
COLD
STORAGE
WAX BOX A carboard box that has a wax coating, intended to keep
their shape even if carrying produce that has some
moisture.

RPC, Usually plastic, porous, large totes used for harvesting and
storing produce.
REUSABLE
PRODUCE
CRATE

PALLET A wood platform that is used to keep containers of

produce off the floor, and for easy moving.

USDA United States Department of Agriculture. Provides grants

and technical support for agriculture and conservation.

BUSINESS A classification for a business that has benefits such as

INCORPORATION liability protection or tax incentives.

TROWEL A small hand shovel used for digging small amounts of soil.
HOE A tool for killing weeds and making beds

RAKE A tool for distributing materials (soil, mulch or compost)

and making beds.

SHOVEL A tool or moving larger quantities of materials like

compost, or digging into the ground to make beds or
harvest potatoes, for example.

SOIL The percentage of sand, silt and clay particles in the soil,
which determines how water and nutrients move through
TEXTURE the soil.

CHEMICAL Nutrients for plants that are chemically derived and

human-made.
FERTILIZER

MANURE Animal waste that is rich in nutrients.

CLAY

SAND A large soil particle

ORGANIC Includes compost, manure, minerals, and other materials

from the natural environment
FERTILIZER

FROST A layer of ice that settles on the ground during cool nights
(commonly when the temperature goes below 32 degrees
F.)

GROWING The period of time during the year when you can produce
crops (depending on temperature and daylight etc.).
SEASON
FROST-FREE The period of time between the last frost in the spring and
the first frost of the fall.
DATES